Sunday, January 31, 2010

Water Horse

I've completed my January piece for the Bead Journal Project, an interpretation of filet crochet in beads or "Filet Bead".

Crochet began as an imitation of various kinds of bobbin and needle laces, using fine cotton and a hook. Look at vintage patterns, and it becomes obvious that many words used to describe different kinds of crochet are the same as those used for types of lace.

Filet is the French word for net, and gives a strong clue to the overall look of filet crochet pieces.
“Filet crochet” is a term from the mid-19th century, when crochet began to copy lace patterns. Filet crochet was once the most prolific form of crochet, as it copied filet lace easily and did not require complicated patterns.

Any crochet that is worked in relatively fine yarn or thread, and uses a stitch that produces an open fabric is often referred to as lace crochet. Filet crochet is popular because it can easily be charted on graph paper using a cross for a block and leaving the square blank for a space. This makes it relatively simple to create geometric designs and text.

I developed this technique of creating an open grid pattern of beads, some of which are filled to create the intended design a number of years ago, but really haven't used it much, as it's very time intensive.

This design is based on an early 1900's pattern entitled "Long-Tailed Dragon". I removed the long tail and added a few additional wave forms, resulting in my "Water Horse". When you live on an island, water is a fact of daily life and horses too, when your island doesn't allow cars.

The grid is formed of size 15/0 silver seed beads and the design is filled with milky grey bugles. It gives a very iridescent effect, very changeable in the light.

My plan for my journal pieces is to create a fantasy dressmaker's swatchbook of various dress trimmings interpreted in beadwork - so how might my fantasy dressmaker use this particular piece? I can see it used as the central filling of an Edwardian bodice or a series of them used as medallions on the skirt of a late Victorian ballgown. What do you see?

17 comments:

  1. This is amazing! Thanks for explaining how you did it. I wouldn't have been able to figure it out from the photo.
    Marty S
    Crackpot Beader

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  2. What do I see? I see an amazing, creative, unique, beautiful swatch of beadwork. To make a swatchbook like this, to understand the history of various dress trimmings and to recreate them with your own personal design twists is to develop mastery of technique and style. This will be in a museum some day!

    Robin A.

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  3. Beautiful work and I am definitely intrigued. So do you thread the beads on yarn and then crochet the design- that must be pretty labour intensive?

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  4. Wow. I am blown away by the amount of work and the freedom of imagination displayed in this work. "A fantasy dressmaker's swatchbook." What a cool image! I wish my imagination worked like that. My first thought for a possible use for this piece was as a wall-hung tapestry. Or in front of a window, as a sort of curtain. It would be fabulous, dancing in the light and on the breeze.

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  5. I am speechless.
    I can see the amount of time involved in this piece. It is truely a work of art and will be considered part of your legacy to the art world.

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  6. WOW, this is truly unique and AWESOME!

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  7. This is beautiful work and an intriguing beading method. I'm looking forward to next month.
    Holly B (BJP page 3)

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  8. Wow that is just amazing. Does it drape well? I just "itch" to want to touch it
    dot

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  9. Amazing, creative and unique. I am looking forward to seeing more of your artwork.

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  10. So beautiful and intricate! I'm blown away.

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  11. OMG, I just realized this entire piece is right angle weave filled in...wow again!

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  12. Really nice piece! I love the direction that
    you are heading in!

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  13. Loved the history, inspired by the piece! Thank you for sharing your beautiful water horse.

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  14. What a brilliant technique! It's so cool and original. Congratulations on a gorgeous January journal!

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  15. Wow. Gorgeous work of art! Thank you for sharing some of the history that inspired it. A dress would be amazing but wow that would take a long time.

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